Most cloaks that fall into this category will have stats suited to general adventure archetypes, like fighters, healers, scouts, etc, though some are specialized.

As you travel through Norrath and defeat foes, you may loot cloaks to suit this purpose well.

Some quests, like those you complete when and if you choose a deity, provide cloaks with useful stats for adventuring.

Cloaks of this type are also made by Tailors who have the right recipe books to make them. Like other gear in the game, they can be made with common materials and have mediocre stats or they can be made with a rare harvested material and provide better stats than those made with non-rare harvests.

While those who harvest have a variety of gear and charms, like the Overclocked Automated Watersafe Net, to help them boost their skills, there is also a very special cloak that is a must-have item: Cloak of the Harvester. If you plan to spend any time harvesting, it's well worth the time to complete the series of quests to add it to your gear wardrobe.

Cloaks of this type offer nothing in the way of stats. They are simply to make you look good while gallivanting in Norrath.

The good news is that if you fall in love with any cloak you loot (provided it matches your class and level) or a cloak you earn when you complete quests, you can wear it forever if you choose. This is done by dropping the cloak into your character's cloak Appearance slot. Placing any gear item (including cloaks) in the appearance slot will not give you additional stats.

How to Equip a Cloak in the Appearance Slot

Press C to open the Character Window and click on the Appearance tab. You'll see a special slot to display the look of any cloak you like, while retaining the benefit of those with stats you need for any of the other cloak types.

It's not uncommon to get cloaks of this type during World Events and almost every in-game holiday includes a quest that rewards you with a fine looking cloak themed for the holiday.

Many cloaks that prove difficult to get by from adventuring or crafting have interesting designs. They are frequently worn in the appearance slot after their stats have been outgrown and a newer cloak with better stats has replaced their use in the normal equipment slot.

Once your guild is ready to have its own cloak, the hard part is choosing a design. There are 64 colors in the palette to choose from for each design element of the cloak. One color is applied to the background (main color) and one for each design element. This makes for vast number of looks to try out.

Planning ahead can save a great deal of time, so it's smart to open a discussion about the theme of the guild and choose colors first. For example, a guild might settle on using only 2 colors like red and black if they are based in an "evil" aligned city, while a guild that role plays in a "good" might city pick a theme like "nature" and choose to use 4 shades of green. Settling the issue of color first often guides the choices that follow for the design elements. Of course, there is no obligation to customize all of the elements in the design if simple is appealing too.

The design elements include:

Emblem: This is the large image that appears in the center of the cloak, not unlike a logo for a brand.

Edge: This is the design element that effects what it implies, the outer edge of the cloak. This applies a pattern on the outer portion and the options range from solid lines to intricate swirls that will only show along the edge.

Pattern: This has an effect on a large area of the cloak, depending on the type you choose. These range from color blocks that look like diamonds to intricate swirls that cover broader areas, like the top and bottom of the cloak.

But wait! There's more! The bottom edge of the cloak can be flat or come to two points.

If you like planning ahead, eq2gallery.com, has a very nice [virtual cloak designer] that accurately emulates the in-game Guild Cloak Designer.